Folding door apparatus



June 29, 1965 J. M. PROTZMAN 331,214

FOLDING DOOR APPARATUS Filed Oct. 16, 1963 INVENTOR. JOHN M. PROTZ MAN 54 4/ 3a 48 7 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,191,214 FGLDKNG DOGR APPARATUS John M. hrotzman, Dayton, Ohio, assiguor to The Ever- Roil Manufacturing Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Get. 16, 1963;, Ser. No. 316,559 2 Claims. (13]. 1687) This invention relates to folding doors, and particularly to hardware for use in mounting folding doors.

Specifically, the invention relates to folding doors having two panels hinged together with one of the panels plvotally secured adjacent the door jamb. The other panel has a guide roller on the upper corner adjacent the unhinged vertical edge thereof, and this roller is received in a guide track which extends across the width of the door opening and guides the doors to a folded position against the door jarnb. Normally two or more sets of panels are used for a wide door, whereas a single pair is used for smaller than normal size door openings, and examples of such structures are disclosed in the US. Patents to Majeske No. 2,842,795, issued July 15, 1958, and Brydolf No. 3,054,447, issued September 18, 1962.

It is commercially desirable that the hardware used for mounting these folding doors be of relatively low cost and be capable of installation in a minimum of time. Thus it is desirable to utilize a guide track which is of uniform cross-section throughout its length so that it may be easily extruded and cut to length as required. In order that the upper pivots on the door can be easily adjusted at any point along this track, the track must also be designed for adjustably accommodating an upper pivot support at any point along its length, as well as for guiding the roller on the movable edge of the door.

This upper pivot support should be capable of being installed and adjusted by use of a single hand so that the other hand of a workman may be utilized to hold the doors in their properly ali ned position. In addition, the upper support must fit into the track in such a way that it does not obstruct the movement of the roller or make it difilcult for the roller to be inserted into or removed from the track. It is also desired that the adjustment screw be capable of easy insertion into the upper support after the latter has been inserted in the guide track.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the invention to provide improved folding door hardware which pro motes easy installation, adjustment, and removal of the doors in :a minimum of time and with maximum flexibility.

Another object of this invention is to provide folding door hardware including a guide track which is uniform in cross-section so that it can be easily and inexpensively extruded, and which does not require any special modification to adapt it for use in mounting a folding door thus decreasing the cost thereof and permitting the track to be cut to length as needed, and further to provide such a track with a unitary anchor device which can be adjustably installed and secured to the track at any point along its length by a single manual operation of tightening a readily accessible screw.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved folding door hardware wherein the guide track has a simple cross-sectional configuration which permits installation and removal of the guide roller at any point along the length of the track, and in particular to provide an adjustable pivot anchor for the track which is supported on each side along its entire length by the track thus eliminating the possibility of the anchor becoming wedged in place making it difficult to adjust.

Other objects and advantages of the invent-ion will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of folding doors in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevation view, partially in section, showing the various hardware components of the folding door assembly;

KG. 3 is a perspective view of the upper pivot support plate;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a lock nut used in conjunction with the support plate shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken essentially along the line 5--5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is another sectional view taken along the line 6-5 of FIG. 2; and

H6. 7 is another sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, PEG. 1 shows a door opening 19 defined by the floor 11, the vertical door jambs 12, and the header 13 which extends between the upper portions of the ja-mbs. Secured to each of the door jambs 12 is a folding door 15 which includes the inner panel 16 hingedly mounted on the adjacent jamb 12, and the outer panel 17 having its Vertical edge 13 similarly hinged to the edge 19 of the panel 16. By pulling on the knob 2d, the edges 18 and 19 of the panels will be drawn outwardly from the plane of the opening 1% causing the left-hand edge 22 of the inner panel 16 to pivot about its mounting, and the right-hand edge 23 of the outer panel 17 to move toward the door jamb 12 guided by the guide roller 24 which is received within the inverted U-shaped guide track 25. The invention as illustrated in FIG. 1 shows a pair of folding doors, and it is to be understood that the invent-ion contemplates using only one folding door when the width of the door opening 1% so dictates.

The hardware for securing the upper and lower pivots of the inner panel 16 in place is easily installed and adjusted and greatly facilitates installation and removal of the doors. Thus, as seen in FIG. 2, the lower pivot pin assembly 27 includes an elongated tubular housing 28 which is received in the complementary vertical bore 31 in the panel 15, and is secured in place by the nails 32 which are driven through the flange 33 on the housing 28 and into the panel 16 parallel to the bore 31.

The pivot pin 35 is threadedly received in the housing 28 so that rotation of this pin by engagement of a suitable tool on the wrench surfaces 36 causes the pin to be extended from a retracted position into the housing 28 and the panel 16. A nylon bushing 38 (FIGS. 2 and 7) is secured on the lowermost end of the pivot pin 35, and is received in a complementary aperture 40 in the invertecl V-shaped support plate 41 so that the annular flange 42 around the periphery of the upper portion of the bushing 38 rides on the plate 41 and supports the weight of the panels 16 and 17.

The support plate 41 is held in position on the base member 44 which has a vertical leg 45 on one end thereof secured to the door jamb 12 by the wood screws 45, and the horizontal leg 48 thereof has the inwardly and upwardly sloped flanges 50 (FIG. 7) formed thereon for engaging the legs 51 of the support plate 41. Thus the support plate 41 moves easily from right to left within the base 44, as viewed in FIG. 2, for adjusting the position of the aperture 40 with respect to the door jamb 12 and allowing the panels 16 and 17 to be adjusted after they have been mounted in position, as will be described. The plate 41 is releasably secured in position by tightening the self-threading screw 53 which is received in an aperture 54 in the plate 41 causing it to engage the upper surface 55 of the base 44, thereby forcing the plate 41 upwardly so that the legs 51 are clamped tightly in contact. with the flanges movement therebetween.

An important feature of'the invention is the upper pivot assembly 57, which includes a tubular housing 58 received in the vertical bore 61 in the panel'16, and held in placeby'the nails 62 which secure the flange plate 63 on the upper end of the housing 58 in' place. A nylon Stlto prohibit any horizontal bushing 65 is mounted on the upper endof' the pivot pin 66, and the spring 67 is positioned within the pivot pin and between the bushing 65. and thehousing 58 for urging the pin 66 outwardly of thev housing, and facilitating removal of the panels 16 and 17 from the door opening 10, as will be explained.

As indicated above, the inverted U-shaped guide track fering with the smooth operation of the roller 24. The

downwardly extending side walls 74 are formed integrally on the opposite sides of the upper wall 71, and each has three equally spaced parallel grooves75, 76 and 77 formed longitudinally in the inner surfaces 78 of the side walls 74 for supporting and guiding the pivot support 70. The lower and upper portions 7 and 76a of grooves 75 and 76 respectively form a projection on it has an outer diameter slightly less than the distance s between the inner sidewalls 78 of the track so that there is substantially no relative movement between the track and the roller except in a direction longitudinally of the track. The rubber'bumper or door snugger 97 or its equivalent may be provided'in the track 25 for engagingthe roller 24 and holding the panels :16 and 17 in their closed position in a con entional manner.

To install the door assemblies, it is merely necessary to mount the upper andlower pivot pin assemblies 27 and 57 and the guide roller 24 on the door panels 16 and 17 and hinge these panels together. The lower base 'member 44 is then secured in place and the adjustment screw 53 tightenedinto position; An appropriate length of guide track 25 is cutfrom an-elongated piece of stock and secnnd by the screws 72 adjacent to the under side of the header 13. Before the track 25 is secured in posi- 7 tion, the appropriate number. of upper pivot supports 70 are placed in the grooves 75 and 76 in the track 70 and allowed to slidetherein.

Once the track is secured in place, the upper supports 70 are tightened in the approximate position, and then the nylon bushing 65 on the upper pivot'pin 66 is placed into. the aperture 100 in the lower plate 82 with the shoulder 101 (FIG. 2)- on the bushing limiting the extent to whieh these members are engaged. Simultaneshoulder 79 therebetween onto which the pivot support I support 70 is clamped. The outer surfaces of. the side walls74 have the parallel indentations 80 formed therein intermediate the grooves 75, 76, and 77 thus presenting a design which is pleasing to the eye andenhances. the.

commercial acceptance of the door hardware, as well as reduces the weight and costof the track. 1

The pivot support .70 includes a rectangular lower plate 82 which has;a thickness slightly less than the diameter of the grooves 75, 76 and 77 formed in the inner side walls 78, and the width W of this lower plate is slightly greater than the distance S between the inner side Walls,

78, thus permitting'the edges 84 of the plate 82 to be received in the pair of oppositely disposed grooves 75., The support 70 also includes an upper plate 85 which is integrally connected to. the lower plate 82 by the-ver-; tical"intermediate'portion '86, and this lower plate is substantially equal in thickness and width'to the lower plate 82 and aligned therewith. 1

The plates 82 and'85 are parallel and spaced apart by a distance d equal to the distance a between theparallel grooves 75 and 76 so that when the lower plate 85 is placed in the grooves 75, the upper plate 85 will beeasily received in the adjacent grooves '76 in a similar. Apertures 87' and 88 are provided in the-cenmanner. tral portion of' the upper plate 85 and the right-hand central portion of the lower plate 82 for guiding the screw.

90 in position so that it maybe easily connected to the U-shaped lock nut 92, as seen in FIG. 2, duringinstallation. that thelocking aperture 93 therein'is aligned with the openings 87' and 88 for easily receiving the screw 90..

cent the right hand edge 23 thereof in a manner similar.

to the lower pivot pin assembly 27; This roller can be adjusted vertically by using an appropriate tool to' engage the'wrench surfaces 94-to rotate the. support pin: 95 within its similarly threaded housing, not shown. The

roller 24, itself is preferably of nylon or other synthetic resin material for quiet and frictionless operation, and

The nut .is clamped on the upper plate- 85 so I roller 24 ously the guide rollelr 24 is placed in the track 26 and then the panels 16 and 17 are ,forced upwardly causing the spring 67 to be compressed and allowing the top edge of the panel to move closer to the track 25.. This action permits sufficient clearance for the nylon bushing 38 on the lower pivot pin 35 to 'clear the plate 41 and drop into theaperturet). V a

' The folding door 15 has then been mounted in position, and'the only operation still required is to align the panels 16-and 171properly in the door opening 10. This is easily and quickly accomplished" by first adjusting the plate41 to insure thatthe lower pivot pin 35 is appropriately spaced from the door jamb 1 2. '1 Then the upper support 70 is loosened and moved to the appropriate position wherein the panels 16 'and 17 are plumb, and then the screw 90 is tightened by simple turning of a wrench. Thus 'the adjustment and installation can. be effected easily and in a minimum of time by a relatively unskilled workman, andthe adjustment screws 53 and 90 can be reached single handedly. This allowsthe workman to hold the panels in the proper position with his other hand during these adjustments.

The panels 16' and 17 can be easily removed after they'have been installed by merely raising them and the lower pivot assembly 27' slightly, against the bias of the spring 67, to remove the lower bushing 38 from the support plate 41, and then moving the lower portion of the panels outwardly to permit the upper bushing 65 and 'theguide roller 24 to move downwardly'and become separated from the upper support 70 and guide track 25, respectively. I This facilitates cleaning, painting, and

a other operations generally required in the normal. household. The doors can be easily replaced by reversing the procedure described above. Should additional adjustment be required, thiscan be easily'accomplished by the use of a single screwdriver owned by most homeowners.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention isnot limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: V 1. Hardware for mounting in a door opening to control movement of a folding door having an upper pivot,

pin extending from the upper edge of .the door, compris- I ing an elongated inverted U-shaped track section adapted to be mounted above the door and including a horizontal base wall having vertical side .walls extending perpendicularly downward from the opposite edges of said base wall, each of said side walls having longitudinally parallel grooves in the inside surfaces thereof in oppositely disposed pairs, an anchor adapted to be adjustably secured in said track section and including generally fiat upper and lower plate members each having a uniform width slightly greater than the distance between said inside surfaces of said side Walls so that the entire length of the opposite side edges of said upper and lower plates are received in said oppositely disposed pairs of said grooves for smooth longitudinal movement of said anchor in said track section, a vertically extending portion integrally interconnecting said plate members at one end thereof, said lower plate member having an aperture to receive said upper pivot pin, aligned openings in each of said plate members spaced midway between said side edges thereof, said upper plate member having thread receiving means thereon aligned with said openings for receiving a screw which is inserted through said opening in said lower plate and tightened into said thread receiving means to clamp said plate members together and to said track section, and said screw being positioned to provide for convenient adjustment of said support.

2. Hardware for mounting in a door opening to control movement of a folding door having an upper pivot pin extending from the upper edge of the door, comprising an elongated inverted U-shaped track section adapted to be mounted above the door and including a horizontal base wall having vertical side walls extending perpendicularly downward from the opposite edges of said base wall, each of said side walls having longitudinal parallel grooves in the inside surfaces thereof in oppositely disposed pairs, an anchor adapted to be adjustably secured in said track section and including generally flat upper and lower plate members each having a uniform width slightly greater than the distance betwen said inside surfaces of said side walls so that the entire length of the opposite side edges of said upper and lower plates are received in said oppositely disposed pairs of said grooves for smooth longitudinal movement of said anchor in said track section, a vertically extending portion integrally interconnecting said plate members at one end thereof, said lower plate member having an aperture to receive said upper pivot pin, aligned openings in each of said plate members spaced midway between said side edges thereof, said upper plate member having a thread receiving nut member thereon aligned with said openings for receiving a screw which is inserted through said opening in said lower plate and tightened into said not member to clamp said plate members together and to said track section, and said screw being positioned to provide for convenient adjustment of said support.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,771,276 11/56 Constance et a1. 256-22 2,842,795 7/58 Majeske 1 18 2,855,227 10/58 Bottom 25621 2,860,701 11/58 Wood et a1 160206 2,896,274 7/59 Chris 1690 2,943,675 7/60 Ford 160118 3,054,447 9/62 Brydolf 160206 3,078,502 2/63 Nelson 16-176 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner. REINALDO P. MACHADO, Examiner. 

1. HARDWARE FOR MOUNTING IN A DOOR OPENING TO CONTROL MOVEMENT OF A FOLDING DOOR HAVING AN UPPER PIVOT PIN EXTENDING FROM THE UPPER EDGE OF THE DOOR, COMPRISING AN ELONGATED INVERTED U-SHAPED TRACK SECTION ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ABOVE THE DOOR AND INCLUDING A HORIZONTAL BASE WALL HAVING VERTICAL SIDE WALLS EXTENDING PERPENDICULARLY DOWNWARD FROM THE OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID BASE WALL, EACH OF SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING LONGITUDINALLY PARALLEL GROOVES IN THE INSIDE SURFACES THEREOF IN OPPOSITELY DISPOSED PAIRS, AN ANCHOR ADAPTED TO BE ADJUSTABLY SECURED IN SAID TRACK SECTION AND INCLUDING GENERALLY FLAT UPPER AND LOWER PLATE MEMBERS EACH HAVING A UNIFORM WIDTH SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID INSIDE SURFACES OF SAID SIDE WALLS SO THAT THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE OPPOSITE SIDE EDGES OF SAID UPPER AND LOWER PLATES ARE RECEIVED IN SAID OPPOSITELY DISPOSED PAIRS OF SAID GROOVES FOR SMOOTH LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ANCHOR IN SAID TRACK SECTION, A VERTICALLY EXTENDING PORTION INTEGRALLY INTERCONNECTING SAID PLATE MEMBERS AT ONE END THEREOF, SAID LOWER PLATE MEMBER HAVING AN APERTURE TO RECEIVE SAID UPPER PIVOT PIN, ALIGNED OPENINGS IN EACH OF SAID PLATE MEMBERS SPACED MIDWAY BETWEEN SAID SIDE EDGES THEREOF, SAID UPPER PLATE MEMBER HAVING A THREAD RECEIVING MEANS THEREON ALIGNED WITH SAID OPENINGS FOR RECEIVING A SCREW WHICH IS INSERTED THROUGH SAID OPENING IN SAID LOWER PLATE AND TIGHTENED INTO SAID THREAD RECEIVING MEANS TO CLAMP SAID PLATE MEMBERS TOGETHER AND TO SAID TRACK SECTION, AND SAID SCREW BEING POSITIONED TO PROVIDE FOR CONVENIENT ADJUSTMENT OF SAID SUPPORT. 